The politician was brutally murdered in her Devon home last week.
The BBC should hang its head in shame for their (Image: Getty)
It’s been a terrifying week for British politicians, and the BBC has only made it worse with their questionable coverage of Ann Widdecombe’s death. On Friday morning (July 10), the news of her passing shocked the nation as the political climate continues to intensify in the UK. But what was initially believed to be an unexpected death quickly darkened into a chilling act of cold-blooded murder.
Over the weekend, police launched a murder investigation for the suspected killer of the former Tory MP, who was found bloodied and bruised at her remote bungalow in Haytor, Dartmoor, Devon. Since then, Counter Terrorism Police have taken over the case from Devon and Cornwall Police following the re-arrest of a 28-year-old man from Rotherham.
The former Express columnist has been at the top of the headlines all week, with constant updates and new details emerging about the case. Every news channel and outlet is covering the murder investigation, but the intense media coverage leaves room for unforgivable on-screen errors.
This week, the BBC daytime show Politics Live shocked viewers when producers invited environmental activist Daze Aghaji onto the show. She immediately sparked backlash on the show when she began speaking about the late politician’s values and career.
She began: “[Widdecombe] was murdered, especially being 78 as well, I think that’s quite a sad way to go out. But I think there is a lot of controversy around how she lived her political life.
“I’m a real believer that the values that we hold are the politics that we practice, and I feel like it would go amiss, not to mention the fact that she pushed against LGBTQ+ rights throughout all of her career. I also feel like it’s time to say that she also said a lot of things about the victims of Harvey Weinstein during the #MeToo movement; she said they chose it upon themselves.
“And she was vehemently anti-abortion, which in this country is not such a political issue in the same way that it is in the States. So I feel like, although what has happened is absolutely awful, there are a lot of people who won’t be grieving this.”
We should not be speaking ill of the dead, especially under such distressing circumstances (Image: Getty)
Her co-star then turned to her and said what we were all thinking: “To be honest, I’m a bit shocked to hear that, that’s completely inappropriate, and I think you will regret what you just said then.
“A lady has been murdered. I’m very sad to be sitting on a chair here today next to you because I’m quite uncomfortable sitting next to you after what you just said.” And he wasn’t the only one shocked at the guest’s comments.
But personally, I think the shame should be placed on the corporation that decided to give her the free airtime to voice her views on such a big platform. There is a lot of work that goes into producing these segments on screen, a lot of research conducted behind the scenes.
The talking heads are scouted by journalists, and there are conversations about what they can bring to the topic set for discussion on the show. This happens all before they are given the green light from producers. So they will have been well aware of this environmentalist’s opinions on Ms Widdecombe.
You only need to take one look at her social media platforms to get a sense of her political views on life. I understand that journalism needs balance and perspective to every story, news segment, or show that goes out, but there is a time and a place for these things. Ms Widdecombe was brutally murdered in her home.
Right now, the conversation around her death should be focused on catching her killer and celebrating the good she achieved in her life. Maybe once the dust has settled and her killer has been charged and convicted, it will be more appropriate to debate her political career.
But there has been far too much scrutiny on her character, and a gross attention to her sexual life and religious opinions, which we wouldn’t be discussing today had she not died so unexpectedly. We should not be speaking ill of the dead, especially in these circumstances.
Her family and friends need time to grieve and come to terms with the tragic events that took place last week. They deserve our respect, and that should extend to the coverage we are giving this ongoing case.
This is a real reflection of the BBC’s values, and the cracks are showing in their supposedly unbiased persona.